True Ames Surf Fins Blog

There is a lot to know about choosing the best fins for your surfboard. Here are a few tips and important factors in picking out the right fin for your style. Remember that the best surf fins are going to be in the right proportion to you and your board.
Construction
All fins are not created equal! We take advantage of a vast amount of fin manufacturing experience to create fins that work in many different applications. Designs are executed using the required materials and foils to create the highest performance fins available today.
Flex
Flex is a very important element in our designs. Many of our fins come with a tuned flex. A fin that has flex can be very different than a fin without flex. The flex concept brings to life an otherwise average ride. Cutbacks have more power and bottom turns have more projection.
Foils
True Ames Fins incorporate a constant foil which means you will not find any flat spots on our fins that may cause water disturbance which will ultimately cause poor performance. Our bigger solid color fins are foiled from 7/16” solid 6oz. glass sheet stock. Smaller fins do not need to be so thick to have the proper foil.
Size
The depth of your fins is measured from base to tip vertically. Adjusting your fin size will affect the performance of your board. Larger fins provide more stability and control, so a larger board will need bigger fins. For example a 9’6” single fin board needs at least a 9.5” fin and if nose riding is most important to you than you will find bigger fins give more forward control.
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The outline of a fin is what determines the area and the look. The way the area is distributed on the fin is what makes fins individual and work in so many different ways. A wide base fin with a wide tip is the most stable but not forgiving. A narrow base fin with a narrow tip will be very loose and fast but unstable at slow speeds. The fin’s sweep (or rake angle) affects the board’s ability to carve turns. A more vertical fin will make tight turns and fast directional changes while a more raked fin will carve wider arcs and handle more power through turns. Tail width is also a factor in fin choice. Narrow tail boards do not require deep fins because there is less distance from the fin to the rail. A wide board requires a deeper fin than a narrower board. For example an 8’ egg style board that is on the wide side should use about an 8.5” to 9.0” fin. A narrow tail single fin board that is 7’6” can use a fin in the 7” to 8” range.